UPDATED: Two eaglets have landed; Humboldt Bay pair's chicks hatch

An adorable, fluffy bald eagle chick small enough to fit in the palm of a hand hatched Wednesday morning in a nest overlooking Humboldt Bay.

The mating pair -- called Mr. and Mrs. Humboldt Bay Eagle -- had their first hatchling break through its egg at about 9:20 a.m., officials said. A second hatched around 8:30 p.m. The first was named Kyle after the landowner's nephew, who died in December.

"This is incredible. I feel like a proud mom," said Linda Parkinson, Humboldt Wildlife Care Center Board of Directors president.

Thousands of people were able to view the event through the Humboldt Bay Eagle Cam, said Mary Osteen, who moderates the site and the Humboldt Bay Eagles Facebook page.

The webcam, installed in December, is maintained by the Humboldt Wildlife Center through a grant from the Sequoia Park Zoo and provides Internet users with a rare glimpse inside the life of the local bald eagles.

"Well, I'm stoked that for the first time in 40 years we're seeing a live hatch," Osteen said. "There's just thousands of people watching it right now. I'm watching the ticker go up and up and up."

Osteen said she noticed 499 people were viewing the webcam when she logged on at lunchtime. When she logged off about 10 minutes later, the number had grown to 600.

Osteen said the Facebook group has grown to nearly 500 members since February. She added eight people on Wednesday alone.

Merrick said eagle eggs hatch about 35 days after being laid. The two eggs were laid in March.

"Now we get the thrill and anxiety of watching a new baby come into the world," Merrick said. "We certainly wish them the best of luck. He or she has parents that have done a very good job. They've fledged a lot of eagles out of this nest, so they're skilled and know what they're doing."

"They live in an area that is rich in food," he said. "All signs point toward success."

Mr. and Mrs. HBE have been raising babies in this general location since 2006, Merrick said. They have successfully raised between 10 and 12 eaglets.

Before Mr. and Mrs. HBE built their nest on Humboldt Bay, the last time an eaglet hatched near the area was more than 40 years ago, he said.

"Hopefully, these babies, these eagle chicks, we'll get to watch them grow up," Merrick said. "Obviously, there's no guarantees in this world, but these guys stand a really good chance of becoming grown up eagles."